"Prince Leon, I'm also curious about the sword technique you used to kill a dragon."
Iris agreed without hesitation.
In front of so many people, Leon proposed his most traditional form of communication. As a princess of Midgar, she had neither the position nor the reason to refuse.
And as a magic swordsman—especially after overcoming the 'God of War Festival'—Iris, who was known as the greatest magic swordsman in the world, would never allow herself to shy away from a duel.
It was the only thing she was truly good at.
Fencing was her domain.
If she didn't fight here, then where would she fight?
"So let me see what the strongest swordsman in the world is really like."
Leon curled the corners of his lips into a slight smile. Amidst the gasps of the onlookers, he drew his magic sword with one hand. As he infused it with magical power, the blade instantly extended.
"I heard Your Highness is skilled in crafting magical items. That seems to be true. I've never seen a sword like this."
"There are many things in this world unknown to ordinary people. I hope you enjoy my toys."
"Yes. Then allow me to offer my respects."
And with that, the battle was about to begin.
Iris unsheathed her sword and charged at Leon.
In that brief instant, Leon recognized her sword style—it was the currently popular Bushin-ryu. She followed a path of aggressive, dominating swordsmanship.
[A/N: I just inserted any name for the sword style here. If anyone remembers the original name, let me know so I can change it.]
Each of Iris's strikes was incredibly powerful.
The steel blade, enhanced by her magic, formed small cracks with each blow—it couldn't withstand her excessive magical power.
Leon thought to himself that her sword must break often. What an idiot, he mused. Clearly, if you compress the magical power and inject it at specific points, you can greatly enhance power without breaking the sword.
People in this world used magical power crudely. They simply poured large amounts of it into their swords and swung. From his perspective, they looked like primitive warriors.
"Unbelievable..."
"He's really fighting on par with Princess Iris!"
"And what graceful, elegant swordsmanship!"
"What kind of fencing does Prince Leon use?"
The ministers, knights, and students watching the duel were all stunned.
The beautiful and intense clash between the two was overwhelming. If any of them had taken their place, they would have been defeated in an instant.
One spectator widened his eyes, fixated on Leon's sword. Every stroke seemed to pierce directly into his soul.
Alexia murmured, "Is that... ordinary fencing?"
Her voice trembled.
Unlike when she had shaken with fear at the dragon's pressure, this time it was pure shock and awe—because Leon's sword style resembled her own.
It was not a style reliant on talent. It did not depend on reflexes, magical power, strength, or other innate gifts.
This was the result of pure, relentless training.
Simple and refined technique.
There was not a single unnecessary element in Leon's fencing. It was as though all the impurities had been stripped away, leaving only the purest essentials.
This was the pinnacle of swordsmanship that an ordinary person could reach through years of refinement—not talent, but effort.
"It's incredible... so beautiful..."
Alexia was transfixed.
Every movement Leon made was a perfect, elegant expression of the art. Each refined motion was like the embodiment of swordsmanship itself.
The more she watched, the more fascinated she became. How can such exquisite swordsmanship exist in this world? It was as if every action had been considered and refined thousands of times.
"How did he learn such fencing?" Alexia wondered.
This wasn't a style that could be mastered alone. No—it would normally take generations of trial and error. How could this prince have learned such a technique while still a teenager?
Of course, Leon couldn't explain that it was a sword style from his previous life. With his [Omnipotent Genius], he had forged the ultimate sword style by integrating the essence of every martial art he'd ever studied.
He didn't need to analyze techniques one by one. He combined the strengths of all arts into a single style.
As for hard work... the truth was, Leon didn't like working hard at swordsmanship. He simply trusted in his talent.
So, in reality, the effort Alexia imagined didn't exist.
Sure, effort could take someone far. But the final achievement always depended on talent. After all, hard work was the path of the ordinary.
"Is that all?"
Leon frowned in disappointment.
The winner of the 'Martial God Festival' was supposed to be the strongest swordsman in the world. He had expected more, but found that she only had a bit of strength.
Your fencing is immature and crude. Your magical power is greater than average… but is that what qualifies as the strongest in the world? How arrogant.
Leon's arrogance was matched only by his strength. To him, Princess Iris was so weak she didn't even deserve the world's praise.
The strongest magic swordsman in the world?
Even ordinary members of the [Dark Night Courtyard] could hold their own against her.
In fact, if he gave a sword to Sinon, she might not lose. A magic swordsman who couldn't even beat an archer was laughable.
This is troublesome. To save face, I'll have to pretend we're evenly matched. Ugh, forget it. If I defeat her instantly, it'll cause diplomatic issues.
He used a bit of magic to push Iris back.
"That's enough for now, Princess Iris. I've seen your fencing. Yes, you are indeed the strongest magic swordsman in the Kingdom of Midgar. Truly impressive."
"Thank you very much for the compliment, Prince Leon," the red-haired princess replied, voice strained.
She looked at her trembling hands and the battered sword, then at Leon—who remained elegant and composed.
Strangely, a sense of relief filled her.
Though it had ended in a draw, if the duel had continued, her sword would've shattered—and she would've lost.
The Princess of Midgar, the Kingdom of Knights, losing in fencing to a prince from the Magic Kingdom? If that news spread, the kingdom's dignity would be in ruins.
Thanks to the overwhelming difference in strength and Leon's theatrical finesse, no one could see his true power—no one except a certain girl and a dragon.
Euphilia and Dvalin exchanged subtle glances. They had seen Leon's real power before—and even now, they could tell he hadn't used half of it.
Do they really think someone who defeated a dragon could be that weak?
(End of Chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉
Do you want to know why I didn't post anything here for so long?The reason was something completely stupid.I formatted my phone and my PC because somehow they got a virus and some unemployed person with nothing to do kept hacking some of my accounts... The problem is that I forgot to save the password for my email linked to this account in my notebook... Literally today I remembered that my old phone, which hasn't been on since last year, still had that account saved, all I needed to do was recharge its battery, turn it on, and then change the email password.